That's what I've got today. Solace. Just a little bit, but sometimes a little bit goes a long way. First, I want to share a book, Hand in Hand, that I am reading a few pages of every day. It is the kind of art that reminds us of all the good in the world, and is one of the things that is giving me exactly what I need right now. It's inspired by the macro photography of Meg Boscov, and the micro (non)fiction writing of her husband, Randy Brown of Matter Press. Here's the inside of the book--one side a stunning photograph, the other relevant muses, quotes and explorations. I read a few pages every morning. It's my favorite way to start the day. And the perfect reminder that we may be isolated, but we are all in this together. I've shared a few of Meg's photographs before, Read More
Archives for March 2020
Puppies and Dog Parks in the Time of Covid-19
So many good questions. About how to socialize puppies. About whether to go to dog parks. So few good answers. But here's a perspective that I hope is helpful: Risk management. It's all about risk management. FOR PUPPIES what are the risks if you have a puppy and can't follow the usual guidelines for socializing your puppy? What are the risks if you do? We all know the risks by now of not following the advice about social distancing and avoiding contact with others as much as possible. We're all (or should be) trying to avoid this freight train of a virus flooding medical facilities such that people end up dying simply because there were no beds, doctors, nurses or ventilators available. It's not going to stop the virus from spreading so much as it will stop a surge in cases that Read More
Thank Heavens We Have Dogs. (And Other Things To Do When The World Closes Up.)
What do we do after, to quote a line from the play Hamilton, "The world turned upside down"? I rarely write about current events, but it just feels wrong to not acknowledge the profound effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic. I have several fun topics for posts in the hopper for the near future (how to pick a new dog, how to handle a dog who plays rough, for example), but, like you, our lives here on the farm have been upended by what I am calling "the new abnormal". But it's not all bad. Surely there is a silver lining here for dog and cat lovers--surely we can make lemonade as much as possible? That's what I want to focus on today: How can we pet owners take advantage of the cancellation of so much of the rest of our lives? I should preface this post by saying that everyone has to Read More
The Eye of the Trainer by Ken Ramirez
I always have the same reactions after seeing Ken Ramirez speak or watching him train. One: He is an astoundingly good animal trainer, possibly the best I've ever seen. Two: I myself am, by comparison, completely incompetent. Three: I can't wait to go home and train everything. Or anything. Right away. Because I know I'll be better than I've ever been before after watching Ken train. That sums up Ken's brilliance--presenting what he knows in such an organized, thoughtful and benevolent way that you leave his presentations excited, no crazed, to put into practice what you just learned. Rather than feeling discouraged by the gap between his abilities and my own, I always end up feeling inspired. The same thing happened after reading just the first few pages of Read More
Hi. I’m Skip.
Hi. I'm Skip. Tall Two-Leg Female asked me to introduce myself. My name is Skip, and I was born in Ireland. I'll be three years old soon. I am handsome. I very am strong and powerful, so please ignore all those strange sounds that Two-Legs make about "congenital heart malformations" and the fact that I get long tongue and side heaves sooner than other dogs. I am learning to live in the biggest barn ever, with things called couches and dog beds and rugs and cooked chicken in a tall, miraculous box. I learned that we don't scent mark in places like this, although it's hard for us intact males to stop ourselves from lifting our legs. But I am a very good dog, so I don't do that anymore. There is a beautiful bitch who lives here too, called Maggie. I love her very much. She loves me Read More